Marginalia1558.shops men returned to theyr maister agayne into the Barge, and he and Harpsfield his Chaplaine went to their Euensong a fresh where they left, and so sayd forth the rest of their seruice,MarginaliaBoners deuout Orasons. as cleane without malice, as an egge without meat. The Lord geue hym repentaunce (if it be his wyll) and grace to become a new man, Amen.

MarginaliaA poore begger whipt at Salisbury, for not receauing with the Papistes at Easter.VNto these aboue specified, is also to be added the miserable whipping of a certaine poore starued seely beggar, who because he would not receaue the Sacrament at Easter in the towne of Colingborow, was brought to Salisbury with Billes and Gleiues to the Chauncellor Doct. Geffrey, who cast him into the Dungeon, and after caused him miserably to be whipped of two catchpoles. The sight whereof made all godly hartes to rew it, to see such tyranny to be shewed vpon such a simple and seely wretch: for they which saw hym haue reported, that they neuer saw a more simple creature. But what pity can moue the hartes of merciles Papistes?

Besides these aboue named, diuers other also suffred the like scourginges and whippinges in their bodyes for the faithfull standing in the truth. Of whom it may be sayd, as it is written of the holy Apostles in the Actes,MarginaliaActes. v. which departed from the Councell, reioysing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Iesus.

¶ Ex Epigrāmare Ennij apud Ciceronem allusio.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

An allusion from an Epigram of Ennius in Cicero

Foxe text Latin

Si fas caedendo coelestia scandere cuiquam est,
Papicolis coeli maxima porta patet.

[Note different start to the second line in1583]

Foxe text translation

Not translated.

Translation (Wade 2004)

If it is right for any man to ascend to heaven through blows, to the Papists lies open the mighty gate of heaven.

Actual text of Cicero, de republica, Fragments, sect. 6. line 3

Si fas endo plagas caelestum ascendere cuiquam est,
Mi soli caeli maxima porta patet,

cf. Seneca the Younger, Epistlae Morales ad Luc. Letter 108. 34. 5.

Ennium hoc ait Homero [se] subripuisse, Ennio Vergilium; esse enim apud Ciceronem in his ipsis de re publica hoc
epigramma Enni:
si fas endo plagas caelestum ascendere cuiquam est,
mi soli caeli maxima porta patet.

cf. Lactantius, Divinarum Institutionum lib. I, de falsa religione deorum, Migne P.L., col. 0211B

Apud Ennium sic loquitur Africanus; Si fas endo plagas coelestum ascendere cuiquam est, Mi soli coeli maxima porta patet.

Si fas cædendo cœlestia scandere cuiquam est.
Papicolis Cœli maxima porta patet.

¶ An other treatise of such as being pursued in Q. Maries time, were in great daunger, and yet through the good prouidence of God mercifully were preserued.  

Commentary     Close

Those Providentially Saved in Mary's Reign

For discussions of the importance of the providential judgements to Foxe and his contemporaries, and of the importance of these tales of divine protection of the faithful to Foxe's work see Alexandra Walsham, Providence in Early Modern England (Oxford: 1999), pp. 65-115 especially pages 108-09, and Thomas S. Freeman, 'Fate, Faction and Fiction in Foxe's Book of Martyrs', Historical Journal 43 (2000), pp. 601-23.

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Tales of the providential rescue of Alexander Wimshurst and of the protestant congregation at Stoke Nayland in Suffolk had already been printed in the Rerum (pp. 636-38) and were simply translated and reprinted in 1563 and all subsequent editions.

In the 1563 edition there was an important list of protestants who were non-lethally persecuted in Mary's reign (1563, pp. 1677-79). Most of this list was never reprinted because it contained the names of a number of protestant radicals - including freewillers and anabaptists - whom Foxe wished forgotten. Nevertheless a number of individual stories mixed in with these lists (the accounts of Edward Grew and William Browne) would be saved and reprinted in all editions.

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Beyond these cases, the stories of Simon Gryneaus, Thomas Christenmass and William Watts, John Glover, Dabney, Bosom's wife, John 'Moyse' (almost certainly John Noyse), the London congregation, the English at Calais, Thomas Horton, Robert Harrington, Nicholas Throgmorton and Thomas Musgrave all first appeared in the 1563 edition.

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In the next edition, some of these accounts were deleted for various reasons: the account of 'Moyse' was dropped almost certrainly because of the continuing influence of Francis Nunn, the Suffolk JP, whose persecution of 'Moyse' was graphically described, while Robert Cole's providential rescue was probably deleted because of Foxe's anger at Cole's prominent support of Archbishop Parker's vestments policy. The account of Throgmorton's successful defiance of the Marian government may have been politically sensitive by 1570. The accounts of Robert Harrington and Thomas Musgrave were also deleted for less clear reasons.

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On the other hand, numerous stories were added in the 1570 edition: the rescues of William and Julian Living, as well as that of John Lithall, and the deliverances of Elizabeth Young, John Davis, Anne Lacey, Edward Benet, Jeffrey Hurst, William Wood, Katherine Brandon (the dowager duchess of Suffolk), Thomas Sprat and William Porrege, John Cornet, Thomas Brice, Gertrude Crockhay, William Maldon, Robert Horneby and Elizabeth Sands. The account of Simon Grineaus was moved from the main body of the Acts and Monuments, where it had been in 1563 (pp. 441-42), and material was added to the story of Thomas Horton.

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In the 1576 edition, the story of Mrs Roberts was added and the account of John Davis deleted. This deletion was probably inadvertant and the account of Davis was re-inserted in the 1583 edition.

MarginaliaA treatise of Gods mercy and prouidence in preseruing good men and women in tyme of thys persecution.ALthough þ^e secrete purpose of almighty God, which disposeth all thinges, suffred a great number of his faithfull seruauntes both men and women, and that of all ages and degrees, to fall into the enemies handes, and to abyde the brunt of this persecution, to be tryed with roddes, with whippes, with rackes, with fetters & famine, with burning of hādes, with plucking of beardes, with burning also both hand, beard, & body, &c. Yet notwithstanding some there were agayne, and that a great number, who miraculously by the mercifull prouidence of God, against all mans expectation, in saftie were deliuered out of the fiery rage of this persecution, eyther by voyding the realme, or shifting of place, or the Lord so blinding the eyes of the persecutors, or disposing the oportunity of tyme, or working some such meanes or other for his seruantes, as not only ought to stirre thē vp to perpetuall thankes, but also may moue all mē both to behold & magnifie þ^e wonderous workes of þ^e almighty.

About what tyme it began to be knowen that Q. Mary was sicke, diuers good men were in holde in diuers quarters of the realme, some at Bury, some at Salisbury, as Iohn Hunt and Richard White, of whom we haue storyed before, and some at London, amongst whom was William Liuing with his wife, and Iohn Lithall, of whom something remaineth now compendiously to be touched.

MarginaliaThe deliueraunce of William Liuing, his wife, & of Iohn Lithall.ABout the time of the latter end of Queene Mary, she then beyng sicke, came one Coxe a Promoter

to the house of William Liuing, about vj. of the clocke, accompanied with one Iohn Launce of the Grayhounde. They beyng not ready, they demaunded for buttons, saying they should be aswell payed for them, as euer was any: and he would come about. iij. houres after againe for them. In the meane while he had gotten the Constable called MarginaliaDeane, Constable, George Hancocke, Beadell, persecutors.M. Deane, and George Hancocke the Beadle of that Warde, and searchyng his bookes, found a booke of Astronomy, called the worke of Iohannes de sacro busto de sphœra, with figures, some round, some triangle, some quadrate: which booke bicause it was gilted, semed to him the chiefest booke there, and that he caried open in the streete, saying: I haue found hym at length. It is no maruell the Queene be sicke, seyng there be such coniurers in priuy corners: but now I trust he shall coniure no more, and so brought him and his wife from Shoe lane through Fleete streete into Paules Churchyard, with the Constable, the Beadle, and ij. other following thē, till they were entred into Darbyshyres house, who was Byshop Boners Chauncellour: And after the Constable and they had talked with Darbyshere, he came forth and walked in hys yard, saying these wordes.

MarginaliaTalke betwen Darbishsyre and William Liuing, Priest.Darbyshere. What is your name?

Lyuing. William Lyuyng.

Darb. What are you? a Priest?

Lyu. Yea.

Darb. Is this your wife that is come with you?

Lyu. That she is.

Darb. Where were you made Priest?

Lyu. At Obourne.

Darb. In what Bishops dayes?

Lyu. By the Bishop of Lincolne that was kyng Henryes ghostly father in Cardinall Wolsyes time.

Darb. You are a Schismaticke and a traitor.

Lyu. I would be sory that were true. I am certaine I neuer was traitor, but alwayes haue taught obedience, accordyng to the tenor of Gods word: and whē tumultes and schismes haue bene stirred, I haue preached Gods word, and swaged them, as in the tyme of kyng Edward.

Darb. What? you are a Schismaticke. You be not in the vnitie of the Catholicke Church: for you pray not as the Church of Rome doth: You pray in English.

Lyu. We are certaine we be in the true Church.

Darb. There be that doubteth therof, for somuch as there is but one true Church.

Well, you will learne agaynst I talke with you agayn, to know the Church of Rome, and to be a member therof.

Lyu. If the Church of Rome be of that Church wherof Christ is the head, then am I a member therof: for I know no other Church but that.

Darb. Well, Cluny take him with thee to the Colehouse.

Then called he Cluny agayne, and spake secretly to him, what I know not.

Then sayd Cluny: wilt thou not come? and so pluckt me away violently & brought me to his owne house in Pater noster Rowe, MarginaliaCluny playeth the theefe.where he robbed me of my purse, my girdle, and my Psalter, and a new testament of Geneua, and then brought me to the Colehouse to put me in the stockes, saying: put in both your legges and your handes also: and except you fine with me, I will put a collor about your necke. What is the fine, quoth I? Forty shillinges, quoth he. I am neuer able to pay it, sayd I. Then said he: you haue frendes that be able. I denyed it: & so he put both my legges into the stockes till supper tyme, which was vj. of the clocke, and then a cosin of my wiues brought me meate, who seing me so sit there, sayd: I wyll geue you xl. pence and let hym go at libertie: MarginaliaNote the couetous dealing of these Papistes.and he tooke her money, and presently let me forth in her sight, to eate my supper. And at vij. of the clocke he put me into the stockes agayne, and so I remayned till two of the clocke the next day,